I wrote the music for the chorus and all the lyrics for "About Face" in 2005 but never came up with a satisfactory tune for the verses.  I was also envisioning it as more of a loud 90s-ish rock song originally. 

The chorus stayed with me for years, but I didn't really come back to it in earnest until January '09, as I was starting to pull together a few nagging stray ideas.  "About Face" was one of the first ones I wanted to nail down.  Thankfully, the verse tune came quickly, and the song was finally written on January 27th.

Lyrics-wise, I see a throughline to this song from a few past ones -- "High Wire" from INFINITY DOGS, "The Mirror In Your Mind" from the very-limited-release HUMBUG GLORY, "Automatic Caution Door," and others. 

Voice and guitar was recorded in a single live take, as with all the acoustic-only tracks on the album.

I think "About Face" is one of the class tracks on the record, and I'm so glad it stuck around long enough in my mind to let me finish it at last.

________________________

 

About Face

 

Always wallowing in plunder

from the treasure that it takes

Don’t you ever start to wonder

why the cycle never breaks?

 

Jab a stick between the spoken promises

 

About time that you face

the face this is about

you’re turning an about face

and it’s really a close shave

 

Single, single, little vixen

How I wonder if you are

All the poison that you’re mixin’

Leaves you close to no cigar

 

The air is thick with all the smokin’ promises

 

About time that you face

the face this is about

but babe, it’s not about face

that you think you can still save

 

In a candy-cradled stupor

In a frozen lake a splash

You intended to be super

It’s unhealthy; it’s a smash

 

Aren’t you sick of all the broken promises?

 

About time that you face

the face this is about

Your ‘what’s-it-all-about’ face

Don’t you take it to the grave.